Arkansas Government Contracting Specialists

msberman@uada.edu

• Over 15 years of experience in community and economic development
• 12 years of experience as a project manager of federally funded cooperative agreements
• Over 3 years of experience as an awards officer of federally funded grants and contracts
• Member of the Executive Committee, Elected Secretary of NAPEX, National APEX Accelerator Alliance.
• Member of the Curriculum, Communication and Bylaws Committees, NAPEX.
• Former Regional Director for APEX Accelerators in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas
• Lifelong public servant, former Peace Corps and AmeriCorps member
• Former member of the Little Rock Sister Cities Commission, promoting cultural and economic development opportunities within the state of Arkansas
• Current volunteer docent at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
• MPA, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

kcollins@uada.edu

Provides administrative support to the APEX Accelerator team.

thicks@uada.edu

• 21-year veteran, United States Air Force
• Certified VA-Verification Assistance Counselor
• Former Arkansas Department of Finance (DFA) Office of State Procurement Specialist
• Vendor of the Year, Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police 
• State of Arkansas licensed teacher, with over 12 years in education; presented training on local, state, national and international levels
• M.S., Operational Management, College of Engineering, University of Arkansas
• B.S., Criminal Justice Administration, Park University

kgriffin@uada.edu

• Over 10 years of experience in high-value, high-risk contract development and evaluation 
• 8 years of experience in revenue management and pricing for enterprise and middle markets
• 10 years of experience in philanthropic efforts with multiple organizations across the Southeast
• M.B.A., Project Management, Beulah Heights University
• B.A., History, Georgia State University

kmagee@uada.edu
501-671-2081

Available to speak to:

• Business Owners
• Chambers of Commerce
• Civic Groups
• Community Leaders
• Elected Officials
• Economic Developers
• Anyone interested in learning about Arkansas APEX Accelerator, the services we provide and the potential benefits APEX Accelerator offers to businesses and local economies

krandle@uada.edu

• Over 13 years of experience in community engagement, governmental affairs and economic development across multi-state regions
• Over 14 years of foundation, non-profit and philanthropic leadership at the local, state, and national level
• 10-year tenure serving the citizens of Arkansas as central staff for the Arkansas General Assembly
• University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture LeadAR Class 16 graduate
• B.S., Business Administration, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

lrussell@uada.edu

• 15+ years’ experience in the entrepreneurship support field
• 30+ years’ experience, small business ownership
• Certified Procurement Professional
• Subject matter expert, SBA’s THRIVE Emerging Leaders program
• Mentor, The Venture Center’s VCWoman Achieve program
• MBA, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• B.A., English, Rhodes College